Isobel Warner, Class of 2013

Isobel joined Trinity in 2011 as one of the first cohort of girls. She went on to study English at university, before working in the West End and joining the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.

She is co-founder of Gutter Street, a theatre company and artist collective that produces plays and multi-arts events across London, with a focus on cultivating a creative community.

Can you tell us about your journey from Trinity School to university and ultimately starting Gutter Street theatre company? What inspired you to pursue this path?

I fell in love with Trinity when looking around and I was in total awe of the Mitre Theatre for drama students. I studied drama, English literature and history at A Level and I knew I wanted to pursue a career as a performer. I had wanted to be an actor from my first theatre visit as a child to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regent Park’s Open Air Theatre. I was utterly obsessed with Puck and his tricks and I wanted to be able to create the same magic on stage and to entertain people. Studying at Trinity and getting to spend every day in a theatre space allowed me to develop my acting skills and explore other creative opportunities. It allowed me to discover how to be a theatre-maker, writer, director, critic and not just a performer.

After leaving Trinity in 2013, I studied English at university; my aim was to gain a degree that would support my future creative work, with a view to applying to drama school once I had graduated. After university though, I was keen to break out of the education system, but realised I knew no actors or anyone who wanted to be one! So, I took up work in the West End, working in theatres alongside aspiring actors, composers, directors and writers. It was a great opportunity to network and I discovered a wealth of workshops, courses and creative spaces in London that I soon became a regular at.

A new theatre friend, Leo Flanagan, recommended that I audition for the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, which led to my first role on a West End stage. Leo and I soon began making short films, writing scripts and, alongside another friend, Josh Barrow, we started Gutter Street - a theatre company and artist collective. In 2018 we began producing plays and multi-arts events across London, with a focus on cultivating a creative community.

Were there any particular teachers or mentors at Trinity School who helped shape your creative vision? What were some of the key lessons, or skills you learnt from them?

My drama teachers certainly had a huge influence on my having the courage to pursue a career within the arts. They were fair in their explanation of just how tough the industry is, but when they saw talent in someone, they encouraged and celebrated it.

Mr Mazur and Ms Sanders were both inspiring teachers and mentors throughout my AS and A Levels. In lessons we were pushed to find our own unique creative responses to characters and situations. Ms Sanders taught me the importance of detail when putting a performance together; considering costume, set, props and other world-building elements that help to develop an imaginary space when devising new work. I also came away with a strong understanding of the challenges of the industry through Mr Mazur’s classes; he treated us like adults and delivered feedback that would push our performances to be the best they could be. I learnt a lot about the discipline that comes with creativity, which has been instrumental in setting up a theatre company. My classmates’ talent also encouraged me to challenge myself as a performer and theatre-maker.

Performing in school plays and taking part in the National Theatre Connections Festival involved collaborating with a cast and crew with a range of brilliant skills, and we got to work with younger students. This was an exciting way to meet people across Trinity School and broke down barriers between year groups. Directed by Mr Godfrey, these shows were always a joy to perform in. I loved being a part of a close-knit creative community and that definitely influenced my interest in creating a community through Gutter Street.

What challenges did you face while starting the Gutter Street theatre company, and how did you overcome them?

I had never set up my own company before and I did not come from a business background, so I knew that setting up a theatre company was going to be . . . interesting. I reached out to friends who worked within the arts for advice and I found there were a lot of courses and workshops designed for creatives starting their own business. As an actor, you have to think of yourself as a business and a brand, but if you have an agent to negotiate contracts and handle that side of things for you, the business side feels very new. We got to grips with it much quicker than expected and learnt as we went along.

Our biggest challenge came with the pandemic in 2020. It was a devastating time for the arts as all work came to an abrupt stop. We had a year of new writing shows planned, a play booked in and cast, and suddenly we had to cancel it all. But being actors, none of us could sit around for long without needing an audience, so we took our shows online. We ran weekly new writing shows on Instagram Live where performers shared their music, poetry and monologues with us and our followers. It was a huge challenge adapting our intimate cosy shows to work on a new platform, but it gave us an opportunity to work with people across the world. We had viewers from the USA to Singapore, and it helped to expand our creative community in a way we had never thought possible.

How has Trinity School supported your success as a theatre company founder?

The most important lessons I learnt from Trinity were to have courage in your decisions, confidence in yourself and to always ask for help if needed. Trinity has been a huge influence in my success. Working in the arts, you hear the word “no” a lot. So the need for perseverance I learnt at school has had a great impact on how I deal with the more difficult aspects of the industry.

When producing plays, you must be very resourceful, often sourcing props, set, costume, rehearsal spaces on a very tight budget. I thrive with these challenges, getting creative and reaching out to my network. Trinity not only gave me the confidence to do this, but has supported almost every play we have produced. I got in touch with Mr Chambers, who I found out also produced theatre through his own company and he kindly opened the doors (quite literally) to us. We have spent many a happy afternoon in the costume cupboards and props stores at Trinity, borrowing pieces for shows, for which we will be forever grateful! I feel very lucky to come from a school that not only encourages your career dreams while you study, but actively supports your work even years after you have left.

Can you share some career highlights to date with Gutter Street?

I would say that some top highlights include running monthly new writing nights where we commission creatives to write and perform a piece inspired by a theme we provide. They can perform monologues, music, spoken word, comedy, whatever they feel is the best medium to share their story. Going from a basement bar with ten audience members to producing regular sold-out shows to huge numbers, both in person and online (we livestream our shows), has been really exciting. My personal highlights have included working with other Trinity alumni and students and hosting them on our stage.

Producing new plays by up-and-coming writers is always a great achievement for Gutter Street. We recently brought Feathers by Leo Flanagan to The Lion & Unicorn Theatre, which received five-star reviews and was a great success. What made it so special for me was that our drama class visited the Lion & Unicorn Theatre when I was at Trinity to watch and review a show. It was very exciting to be back in a space I had visited as a student as a professional theatre producer.

What sets Gutter Street apart from other theatre companies and how has it made a positive impact on your community?

Community is at the heart of everything we do. Our aim is to provide a space for people to share their work in a safe environment. Our new writing nights feel as though you are in a friend’s living room, sharing something rough and unpolished with a room full of supportive people. We do not put pressure on performers to be perfect, rather we value having the courage to stand up and perform. Everyone who shares something on our stage is given edited footage of their performance, which has allowed them to successfully apply for opportunities across established arts institutions, from Theatre 503 to the BBC. Ultimately, our work revolves around providing support for anyone in the arts who is looking to collaborate and create.

What advice do you have for current students at Trinity School who may be interested in pursuing a career in the performing arts or starting their own theatre company?

Everyone will tell you that a career in the arts is difficult. They are right. But if it is something you are truly passionate about and you are prepared to work extremely hard, go for it. I thought I could survive on acting work solely, but you soon learn that you need to have multiple skills and roles within the industry to support yourself.

That is why I set up Gutter Street, to be a destination for fellow creatives who are paving their ever-changing paths in a challenging industry. Whether you want to be an actor, writer, director or producer, you have to put yourself out there and make connections. This is also a brilliant way to find out about courses, classes and workshops you can attend to continue developing your skills. If the performing arts really is the right path for you, please know that you will always have a home at Gutter Street. We have had the pleasure of working with Trinity students and alumni, including Emeline Beroud, Sophie Greenfield, Crispin Lord, Sarah Bingham, Will Gao and Safiya Tiotto-Smith. I would love for this list to keep growing!

What’s next for Gutter Street and Isobel Warner? Do you have any upcoming projects or plans?

Gutter Street has been running for five years and it has grown from a one-off play put together by a few friends in 2018 to producing multiple new writing shows, new plays, a podcast and an online writers’ club. We are working on a series of radio plays we hope to record soon and share with our community. We are also focusing on funding as all our projects have been self-funded by our team, which is why we set up Patreon, where people can subscribe and get a plethora of Gutter Street goodies in return, from merchandise to free tickets. There is certainly a lot to keep us busy for the time being, but we are big dreamers with an even bigger vision for the company. Personally, I am working on a plan to facilitate acting workshops at our Gutter Street HQ while continuing with my own work as an actor.